Today's Paper

Special squads formed to check footboard travel

Sessions on safe bus travel organised in schools

Close on the heels of a road accident at Perungudi near Chennai in which four students travelling on footboard were killed on Monday, the Transport Department has come out with a special plan to curb the flouting of rules by passengers, especially travel on footboard.

The Transport Department has formed special squads to keep vigil on travel on footboard.

The plan aims at sensitising masses to safe travel.

A team of officials comprising motor vehicle inspectors conducted a surprise inspection of all town buses and college buses on Wednesday at Andakulam area on Pudukottai–Thanjavur sector.

“The squads will organise surprise checks at various places for about two hours from 8.00 a.m. on a sustained basis,” says N. Balagurunathan, Regional Transport Officer.

The surprise check will continue at various places in the district, says the official.

Awareness programmes were conducted in a few schools in the district to sensitise the students to safe bus travel.

At Government Higher Secondary School at Gandarvakottai, the school teachers organised a special session explaining to the students the safety aspects.

Nagapattinam staff reporter adds:

Express buses would henceforth halt and pick up students from Keezhvelur onwards to avoid overcrowding and footboard travel. The lack of services had witnessed overcrowding in moffusil buses encouraging footboard travel by students eager to get to schools and colleges. However, standing instructions have been issued to express buses to halt and pick up students at every bus stop.

The Regional Transport Office has also put in place mobile teams with two checking inspectors deputed from the Transport Corporation and supported by the motor vehicles inspector to put a check to footboard travel in Nagapattinam. The team would be on surveillance from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. daily.

Speaking to
The Hindu
, R.Senthivelan, RTO, said that the monitoring mobile teams would survey Nagapattinam-Keezhvelur stretch, which witnesses high student traffic and footboard travel. Further, circular bus services have been initiated between Vanjoor and Nagapattinam bus stand.

The system envisages 36 one-way trips each day to meet the demand for buses.

Superintendent of Police Radhakrishnan has issued standing instructions to the traffic police and law and order to monitor footboard travel. In the event of bus carrying passengers on footboard, the bus would be stopped, and either the passenger would be asked to step up or get off the bus, Mr.Radhakrishnan told
The Hindu
. According to the SP, this was a regular feature with the standing instructions in force.